Making Our Roads Safer

New Zealand has increased its minimum driving age from 15 to 16 in an effort to make its roads safer, as well as banning those under 2 drinking any amount of alcohol and then driving. The country has one of the lowest driving ages in the developed world, the legacy of an agriculture-driven economy in which teenagers are expected to be able to operate farm vehicles from a young age. While people under 25 make up just 15 per cent of all of New Zealand’s drivers, they are involved in 35 per cent of serious accidents. The new policy went into effect on August 1.